The Medieval period was called “Dark” because of the ignorant reliance on religion. Everything from art to the architecture and the medieval human mind was centered around religion or adoration of a higher power. The church prohibited the freedom of any kind of artistic expression which turned the lights out on literature and art in that time.
The art of the medieval period covers an enormous amount of time, about 1000 years of art and several art movements. These movements include Early Christian art, Migration Period art, and Gothic art just to name a few. The early christan art encompasses mostly from works of art involving mostly od christan themes and structures that weer created anfter jesus’s death fpr wprship. The migration period includes art from from the Hiberno-Saxon and Anglo-Saxon and the fusion of Celtic and Great Briton. This period is mostly about different types of art including polychrome style (more than one use of colors in a single piece of art) and the animal style (dealt mostly with animal and bird themes). Medieval art includes many mediums, and was especially strong in sculpture, Illuminated manuscripts and mosaics. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_art). Gothic art told stories through pictures from both Christian and secular. All these different art periods came from other cultures during the same time period. Each different culture had a different style of painting and different medium were used. All of this branched out from the Roman empire and church restrictions. -Brandon
The literature during the medieval period is a very wide subject containing many writers and a lot of written work. The work included is ‘’ essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages’’ (http://www.answers.com/medieval%20literature)
This includes the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of Florentine Renaissance. Most of the literature produces is about religious views and stories and non-religious activities. These ‘’complex stories range from complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane’’ (http://www.answers.com/medieval%20literature) Because of the large time span it is very easy to classy it by its genre and where it came from. -brandon
An event why the medieval period is called "dark" is because of the viking invasions in 787-1066 AD. They were raiding pirates and stole horses while causing disasters. They attacked people anywhere but mainly France. The other people attacked were the Holy Roman Empire and other Christian countries in Europe. This connects to the Medieval period being "dark" because these life changing wars, battles, and invasions like this one caused the people of this time to be scared, freedom less, and poor. "Many buildingd were pillaged, burned, destroyed by the Viking Raids. Many monastaries were pillaged and all abbeys were destroyed. They only left when they acquired sufficient loot or bribes." http://www.crystalinks.com/vikings.html (wilda)
Another event was the Norman Conquest. This is another invasion in 1066AD of the Kingdom of England. The leader of Normandy (William) lead them and replaced the ruling class in England with French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. they got rid of all the traditions and styles of those people who were there and forced their beliefs and language on them. this contributes to dark because of the fighting and people still aren't able to lead the lives the way they want to it was pressed and reinforced upon the people of England. "The Englishmen suffered many casualties." http://normanconquest.co.uk/ (wilda)
The literature of the medieval period can contribute greatly to the common name "The Dark Ages." The literature touches all points and is very complex. Latin was a common language for medieval writings because the church was really the only source of education at the time. However, what separates it from the work we see today is its anonymity. An author's role from a period like the medieval as opposed to one like the romantic is very different. They were often restrained by church fathers because the church did hold all the power during this time. Their intimidation made authors ,who either embellished older pieces of work or invented their own, not find the gift of honor be important. Therefore, much of medieval literature is not claimed to be owned by any specific person. Some examples of medieval literature are Beowulf, Digenis Acritas, and The Cloud of Unknowing. Beowulf is an epic poem about a hero and can be seen as one of the most important works of Anglo Saxon literature. Digenis Acritas is also an epic that tells about a hero and is known in many folk songs. Finally, The Cloud of Unknowing is a guidebook to seeking God. It was an inspiration to cryptic searchers. In the end, literature makes the Medieval period dark because of the unacknowledged authors who had a ban on expression. - Jenna
The architecture of the medieval perios was "Dark" because not many people's work was known. Many architectures did not have the oppurtunity to bring out their talent. They had rules and regulations to follow from their leaders who did not lwt them tribute to their country it was against their religion to speak for themselves. they were not allowed to do any sort of thing which brought out thier talent. Or anything that people would know them for. -Radhika
The architecture in the Dark Ages were harsh a very plane. For example Castles didn't have much to them but stone and they had sort of an eary essance to them. Most of these structures were built to protect people from other kingdoms. It seemed that every one during this time period were very perinoid and on edge due to the fact that they were always under attack from other kingdoms.- Becky B
art from the Medieval Period is a major factor of the "darkness" because much of the art, if not all, was based on religion; and there is much art out there but it is hard to find because much of this time period is unwritten history. The art from this time had its own artistic style and each piece of art is looked at individually. During this time there were eight large-scale movements such as: The Early Christian art, Migration Period art, Celtic art, Byzantine art, Islamic art, Pre-Romanesque art, and Gothic art. One of the most popular arts from that time was the Gothic art, which was a type of art that depended on the craft, time, and place. The art was called "gothic" because most of the work was very dark and used colors like black, brown, and gray. A majority of the art from this time was some how related to religion, with it being a painting of a saint or someone from the bible. Since the people from this time were not allowed to express much feeling, they had no choice but to follow the rule of the church because the church was the highest amoung all the people and they ruled everyone. With the church being the ruler many artist felt the need to paint someone that was from the religion of the Christian church. With this being done most of the art from this time looks the same because they are all portriats of religious figures. Overall, with the church being on control of the people, they lacked freedom leaving them with no choice but to use their artistic ability and paint imporant religious figures. (allyson)
In the Medieval Period, the literature was very well connected to the “Dark Ages”. The literature during this period was complete and complex in a lot of ways. The literature was special because most of the pieces of work that were developed had an unknown author. The authors during this time often wrote anonymously because they were afraid of the church because religion was a major part of this time period. An example of medieval literature is Beowulf. Beowulf is a poem about a heroic man and is very important to the Medieval Period. The Literature is connected to the “Dark Ages” because of the anonymously written work. (Brent)
The Art of the Medieval Period was different from the art of earlier time periods because a lot of the work had to do with religion. Christianity ruled the Medieval Period and frightened its followers which led to many of the anonymous works of art. The majority of the art was about Christianity and the belief of the Catholic Church. The art of the past periods were made on stories, religion, or fascination but in the Medieval Period the art was controlled by the artist’s religion. The art of the Medieval Period can be connected to the idea of the “Dark Ages” because a lot of the artist made their art without the right recognition they deserved. (Brent)
The art of the Medieval Period played a huge role in why it was considered the "Dark Ages." Most of the art from the Medieval Period was based on religion and the church. The people and artists of the Medieval Period were restricted from expressing their feelings and what they believed in because the church rule. The art of the Medieval Period was dark and gothic and had a lot to do with Christianity and religion. -Kelly Z
In the Medieval period all art forms became influenced by Christianity. The change art experienced in this period is highly noticable when compared to previous time periods. The only art works that come from the Dark Ages are scenes from the bible, or art portraying Christian events from the time. All other art forms were ignored and prohibited. Some examples of this art are works by Konrad Witz, who made an altar piece of the Virgin, Giotto, who painted "Kiss of Judas," and Duccio di Buoninsegna who is famous for "Stoclet Madonna." All of these artists works depiced religious creations. You can easily realize that Christianity had a strong hold on the art during this time from the religious aspects represented in all of the art works of the Medieval Period. http://www.white-history.com/hwr41.htm, http://docs.google.com/Presentation?docid=dcz3dpcj_29gbrqftdw&hl=en -Kelsey
The center of thinking during The Medieval Period was based upon the Christian bible. Unfortunately, religion controlled the minds of the people. All scientific thoughts that did not follow what was said in the Bible was ignored and considered phony. Some examples include that the Earth revolves around the sun. In the Bible is says how the sun revolves around the Earth. It was discovered that the sun was the center of the universe and the Earth revolved around the sun, although this concept was not argued with because going against the church would result in harsh consequences. Another example of this ignorance to intelligent thinking was the belief that the Earth was round. The Bible talks about how the Earth has four corners, hence the Earth was flat. Once again the belief of the Earth being round was rejected and not proved until later on in history because the church overlooked it. Ultimately, thinking freely was repressed by the church, causing no progress in scientific discoveries. -Kelsey
Art during the medieval time period has a large contribution to the reason it was considered the “dark” ages. There were several different types of art itself including Gothic and Islamic art, which were two of the most popular and most recognizable types from that time. Many of the colors used in these pieces were black and gray. Since religion and the church were such a huge part of the peoples lives during the dark ages, their art was based on the catholic church or the feelings they have from the restrictions set by the religion. Many of the artists and work are hard to find because much of the medieval period is made up without any written history, therefore the art goes by without recognition in modern periods. (kate)
The literature during the medieval time period is considered to be very thorough and complicated at times. Part of the reason it contributes to the name of the “dark” ages is because a lot of the literature was written anonymously, for example the famous epic poem Beowulf. Most of the time the work was written in Latin because of the intense rule from the church which was basically the only form of education. (kate)
During the Dark Ages, the church heavily restricted the works of literature, which was a result of the Protestants wanting to recreate a pure Christianity, wanting to void the "dark" Catholic ways. (http://www.allabouthistory.org/the-dark-ages.htm) As such, many authors wrote anonymously in order to conceal their identities and avoid a cruel fate. This was also one of the factors as to why there is a lack of documentation of medieval literature. One of the main themes used in medieval literature was allegory, which shows the morals the author had in mind while they were writing their work. This was mostly on the side of the Protestants, as typological and analogical types of allegory, which connects the old and new testaments and give prophecies about the future, respectively. The four main allegories of the medieval age were Le Roman de la Rose, The Divine Comedy, Piers Plowman, and Pearl. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Allegory_in_the_Middle_Ages)-Jesse
An aspect that contributes to why the Dark Ages were dark was the concept of Feudalism. This concept was introduced by William the Conqueror, leader of the Norman invasion who was crowned king. This concept means that land is exchanged for military service, in which the land is divided by the king, the church, and Norman soldiers and nobles. A "pyramid of power" was created to maintain control, along with the creation of castles to control the population. However, rebellion ensued, as many people did not agree with feudalism. There were two rebellions, one led by King Harold's family, and by Herward the Wake, both of which were unsuccessful. Feudalism fell into a decline when the Black Death came around Europe. (http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/feudalism-in-england.htm)- Jesse
Medieval Inquisition
This devastating event in history exemplifies the power of the church and the direct influence that it had on the people living during the medieval times. Due to the fact that “separation of church and state” was not even an idea yet, the clergy held the cards and governed the land how they saw fit. The church thought that it was their divine right to interfere with any opposing religious beliefs or ideals, leading them to combat that opposition with means of violence and torture in some cases. The Inquisition was a way for narrow minded, “god-fearing” folk to weed out those who were not worthy of expressing their own moral values. Inquisitors were religious figures that were sent to different areas to expose those who had “fallen from grace.” These discoveries resulted with the accused scoundrel on trial for what they felt; unfortunately these trials usually did not end in favor of the accused.
-- Teri C.
Medieval Catholic Literature
Cultural activity during the early Middle Ages consisted primarily in appropriating and systematizing the knowledge of the past. The works of classical authors were copied and annotated. Encyclopedic works, such as Isidore of Seville's Etymologies (623), which attempted to present the collected knowledge of humankind, were compiled. At the center of any learned activity stood the Bible; indeed, all secular learning was regarded as mere preparation for understanding the holy text. Also, the Church preserved ancient writings and Biblical writings. The Christian Church helped unify people of Europe because of its centralized authority and hierarchical nature. The Church unified the people because it was the only constant.
-- Lawrence W.
The Dark Ages were referred to as "dark" becasue of the very influencial oppression the Churches had on the people and citizens of that time. The church believed that people should stick to the old time and old ways, in order to brainwash and keep the people "dumb" to their surroundings, so that the Church had power and control over the people. In other words, the church mainly did not want to have their followers to be intellectual, or show signs of a want to learn beacsue they knew that if the people started to believe in other religions or practice other beliefs, the church's would soon lose power over the people, and their control woudl be minimized or futile. The Medieval Period was also called "dark" because the churchs/governments of that time wanted to keep their subjects " in the dark" and refuse them the right to expand their horizons. Also to explore new things, and if they wanted to practice another religion, they wouldnt have the chance to because of the religious oppresion. Chrisstopher Gilmore
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_church.htm The church during medieval times played a greater role during the Dark Ages than it does during modern society. Everyone believed in God and the afterlife, and England’s church made the population believe that the only way to get access to Heaven was through the Roman Catholic Church’s approval. So the church controlled freedom of expression over the people, and they believed that this is the way it had to be, which is untrue. This makes these ages “dark” because there was a lack of creative history in this time period.
- Sam
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/black_death_of_1348_to_1350.htm
Another example of the medieval times being "dark" was that there was absolutely no medical knowledge whatsoever. So when the bubonic plague struck, no one could control it. Disease wiped out everything. This contributed to the dark ages because it left a sickly air over medieval England. The church lead people to believe that this disease was a sign of God's punishments. For example, "Lack of medical knowledge meant that people tried anything to help them escape the disease. One of the more extreme was the flagellants. These people wanted to show their love of God by whipping themselves, hoping that God would forgive them their sins and that they would be spared the Black Death."
- Sam
An event that took place during the Medieval time period that contributed to labeling this time period as the “dark ages” was in 787-1066 A.D, the Viking invasions. Vikings were Scandinavian warriors, explorers, or traders. They raided some British islands and attacked people in France and the Roman Empire, and some other Christian countries located in Europe. A second event that had an impact on the “dark ages’ was the Norman Conquest, which was an invasion of the Kingdom of England that took place in 1066 A.D. By the troops of William of Normandy, Norman control of England was a result of this. The people of England now had new beliefs and language forced upon them and weren’t free to continue with their own. Both of these events contribute to ‘dark ages” because both were life changing events, the people were no longer able to freely continue with their own beliefs and customs, religion controlled much of the thinking of this time. The people were no longer able to express themselves or they were going to suffer a punishment for their writings or pieces of art. -Genna
The art of the medieval period covers an enormous amount of time, about 1000 years of art and several art movements. These movements include Early Christian art, Migration Period art, and Gothic art just to name a few. The early christan art encompasses mostly from works of art involving mostly od christan themes and structures that weer created anfter jesus’s death fpr wprship. The migration period includes art from from the Hiberno-Saxon and Anglo-Saxon and the fusion of Celtic and Great Briton. This period is mostly about different types of art including polychrome style (more than one use of colors in a single piece of art) and the animal style (dealt mostly with animal and bird themes). Medieval art includes many mediums, and was especially strong in sculpture, Illuminated manuscripts and mosaics. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_art). Gothic art told stories through pictures from both Christian and secular. All these different art periods came from other cultures during the same time period. Each different culture had a different style of painting and different medium were used. All of this branched out from the Roman empire and church restrictions. -Brandon
The literature during the medieval period is a very wide subject containing many writers and a lot of written work. The work included is ‘’ essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages’’ (http://www.answers.com/medieval%20literature)
This includes the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of Florentine Renaissance. Most of the literature produces is about religious views and stories and non-religious activities. These ‘’complex stories range from complex and rich field of study, from the utterly sacred to the exuberantly profane’’ (http://www.answers.com/medieval%20literature) Because of the large time span it is very easy to classy it by its genre and where it came from. -brandon
An event why the medieval period is called "dark" is because of the viking invasions in 787-1066 AD. They were raiding pirates and stole horses while causing disasters. They attacked people anywhere but mainly France. The other people attacked were the Holy Roman Empire and other Christian countries in Europe. This connects to the Medieval period being "dark" because these life changing wars, battles, and invasions like this one caused the people of this time to be scared, freedom less, and poor. "Many buildingd were pillaged, burned, destroyed by the Viking Raids. Many monastaries were pillaged and all abbeys were destroyed. They only left when they acquired sufficient loot or bribes." http://www.crystalinks.com/vikings.html (wilda)
Another event was the Norman Conquest. This is another invasion in 1066AD of the Kingdom of England. The leader of Normandy (William) lead them and replaced the ruling class in England with French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. they got rid of all the traditions and styles of those people who were there and forced their beliefs and language on them. this contributes to dark because of the fighting and people still aren't able to lead the lives the way they want to it was pressed and reinforced upon the people of England. "The Englishmen suffered many casualties." http://normanconquest.co.uk/ (wilda)
The literature of the medieval period can contribute greatly to the common name "The Dark Ages." The literature touches all points and is very complex. Latin was a common language for medieval writings because the church was really the only source of education at the time. However, what separates it from the work we see today is its anonymity. An author's role from a period like the medieval as opposed to one like the romantic is very different. They were often restrained by church fathers because the church did hold all the power during this time. Their intimidation made authors ,who either embellished older pieces of work or invented their own, not find the gift of honor be important. Therefore, much of medieval literature is not claimed to be owned by any specific person. Some examples of medieval literature are Beowulf, Digenis Acritas, and The Cloud of Unknowing. Beowulf is an epic poem about a hero and can be seen as one of the most important works of Anglo Saxon literature. Digenis Acritas is also an epic that tells about a hero and is known in many folk songs. Finally, The Cloud of Unknowing is a guidebook to seeking God. It was an inspiration to cryptic searchers. In the end, literature makes the Medieval period dark because of the unacknowledged authors who had a ban on expression. - Jenna
The architecture of the medieval perios was "Dark" because not many people's work was known. Many architectures did not have the oppurtunity to bring out their talent. They had rules and regulations to follow from their leaders who did not lwt them tribute to their country it was against their religion to speak for themselves. they were not allowed to do any sort of thing which brought out thier talent. Or anything that people would know them for. -Radhika
The architecture in the Dark Ages were harsh a very plane. For example Castles didn't have much to them but stone and they had sort of an eary essance to them. Most of these structures were built to protect people from other kingdoms. It seemed that every one during this time period were very perinoid and on edge due to the fact that they were always under attack from other kingdoms.- Becky B
art from the Medieval Period is a major factor of the "darkness" because much of the art, if not all, was based on religion; and there is much art out there but it is hard to find because much of this time period is unwritten history. The art from this time had its own artistic style and each piece of art is looked at individually. During this time there were eight large-scale movements such as: The Early Christian art, Migration Period art, Celtic art, Byzantine art, Islamic art, Pre-Romanesque art, and Gothic art. One of the most popular arts from that time was the Gothic art, which was a type of art that depended on the craft, time, and place. The art was called "gothic" because most of the work was very dark and used colors like black, brown, and gray. A majority of the art from this time was some how related to religion, with it being a painting of a saint or someone from the bible. Since the people from this time were not allowed to express much feeling, they had no choice but to follow the rule of the church because the church was the highest amoung all the people and they ruled everyone. With the church being the ruler many artist felt the need to paint someone that was from the religion of the Christian church. With this being done most of the art from this time looks the same because they are all portriats of religious figures. Overall, with the church being on control of the people, they lacked freedom leaving them with no choice but to use their artistic ability and paint imporant religious figures. (allyson)
In the Medieval Period, the literature was very well connected to the “Dark Ages”. The literature during this period was complete and complex in a lot of ways. The literature was special because most of the pieces of work that were developed had an unknown author. The authors during this time often wrote anonymously because they were afraid of the church because religion was a major part of this time period. An example of medieval literature is Beowulf. Beowulf is a poem about a heroic man and is very important to the Medieval Period. The Literature is connected to the “Dark Ages” because of the anonymously written work. (Brent)
The Art of the Medieval Period was different from the art of earlier time periods because a lot of the work had to do with religion. Christianity ruled the Medieval Period and frightened its followers which led to many of the anonymous works of art. The majority of the art was about Christianity and the belief of the Catholic Church. The art of the past periods were made on stories, religion, or fascination but in the Medieval Period the art was controlled by the artist’s religion. The art of the Medieval Period can be connected to the idea of the “Dark Ages” because a lot of the artist made their art without the right recognition they deserved. (Brent)
The art of the Medieval Period played a huge role in why it was considered the "Dark Ages." Most of the art from the Medieval Period was based on religion and the church. The people and artists of the Medieval Period were restricted from expressing their feelings and what they believed in because the church rule. The art of the Medieval Period was dark and gothic and had a lot to do with Christianity and religion. -Kelly Z
In the Medieval period all art forms became influenced by Christianity. The change art experienced in this period is highly noticable when compared to previous time periods. The only art works that come from the Dark Ages are scenes from the bible, or art portraying Christian events from the time. All other art forms were ignored and prohibited. Some examples of this art are works by Konrad Witz, who made an altar piece of the Virgin, Giotto, who painted "Kiss of Judas," and Duccio di Buoninsegna who is famous for "Stoclet Madonna." All of these artists works depiced religious creations. You can easily realize that Christianity had a strong hold on the art during this time from the religious aspects represented in all of the art works of the Medieval Period. http://www.white-history.com/hwr41.htm, http://docs.google.com/Presentation?docid=dcz3dpcj_29gbrqftdw&hl=en -Kelsey
The center of thinking during The Medieval Period was based upon the Christian bible. Unfortunately, religion controlled the minds of the people. All scientific thoughts that did not follow what was said in the Bible was ignored and considered phony. Some examples include that the Earth revolves around the sun. In the Bible is says how the sun revolves around the Earth. It was discovered that the sun was the center of the universe and the Earth revolved around the sun, although this concept was not argued with because going against the church would result in harsh consequences. Another example of this ignorance to intelligent thinking was the belief that the Earth was round. The Bible talks about how the Earth has four corners, hence the Earth was flat. Once again the belief of the Earth being round was rejected and not proved until later on in history because the church overlooked it. Ultimately, thinking freely was repressed by the church, causing no progress in scientific discoveries. -Kelsey
Art during the medieval time period has a large contribution to the reason it was considered the “dark” ages. There were several different types of art itself including Gothic and Islamic art, which were two of the most popular and most recognizable types from that time. Many of the colors used in these pieces were black and gray. Since religion and the church were such a huge part of the peoples lives during the dark ages, their art was based on the catholic church or the feelings they have from the restrictions set by the religion. Many of the artists and work are hard to find because much of the medieval period is made up without any written history, therefore the art goes by without recognition in modern periods. (kate)
The literature during the medieval time period is considered to be very thorough and complicated at times. Part of the reason it contributes to the name of the “dark” ages is because a lot of the literature was written anonymously, for example the famous epic poem Beowulf. Most of the time the work was written in Latin because of the intense rule from the church which was basically the only form of education. (kate)
During the Dark Ages, the church heavily restricted the works of literature, which was a result of the Protestants wanting to recreate a pure Christianity, wanting to void the "dark" Catholic ways. (http://www.allabouthistory.org/the-dark-ages.htm) As such, many authors wrote anonymously in order to conceal their identities and avoid a cruel fate. This was also one of the factors as to why there is a lack of documentation of medieval literature. One of the main themes used in medieval literature was allegory, which shows the morals the author had in mind while they were writing their work. This was mostly on the side of the Protestants, as typological and analogical types of allegory, which connects the old and new testaments and give prophecies about the future, respectively. The four main allegories of the medieval age were Le Roman de la Rose, The Divine Comedy, Piers Plowman, and Pearl. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Allegory_in_the_Middle_Ages)-Jesse
An aspect that contributes to why the Dark Ages were dark was the concept of Feudalism. This concept was introduced by William the Conqueror, leader of the Norman invasion who was crowned king. This concept means that land is exchanged for military service, in which the land is divided by the king, the church, and Norman soldiers and nobles. A "pyramid of power" was created to maintain control, along with the creation of castles to control the population. However, rebellion ensued, as many people did not agree with feudalism. There were two rebellions, one led by King Harold's family, and by Herward the Wake, both of which were unsuccessful. Feudalism fell into a decline when the Black Death came around Europe. (http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/feudalism-in-england.htm)- Jesse
Medieval Inquisition
This devastating event in history exemplifies the power of the church and the direct influence that it had on the people living during the medieval times. Due to the fact that “separation of church and state” was not even an idea yet, the clergy held the cards and governed the land how they saw fit. The church thought that it was their divine right to interfere with any opposing religious beliefs or ideals, leading them to combat that opposition with means of violence and torture in some cases. The Inquisition was a way for narrow minded, “god-fearing” folk to weed out those who were not worthy of expressing their own moral values. Inquisitors were religious figures that were sent to different areas to expose those who had “fallen from grace.” These discoveries resulted with the accused scoundrel on trial for what they felt; unfortunately these trials usually did not end in favor of the accused.
-- Teri C.
Medieval Catholic Literature
Cultural activity during the early Middle Ages consisted primarily in appropriating and systematizing the knowledge of the past. The works of classical authors were copied and annotated. Encyclopedic works, such as Isidore of Seville's Etymologies (623), which attempted to present the collected knowledge of humankind, were compiled. At the center of any learned activity stood the Bible; indeed, all secular learning was regarded as mere preparation for understanding the holy text. Also, the Church preserved ancient writings and Biblical writings. The Christian Church helped unify people of Europe because of its centralized authority and hierarchical nature. The Church unified the people because it was the only constant.
-- Lawrence W.
The Dark Ages were referred to as "dark" becasue of the very influencial oppression the Churches had on the people and citizens of that time. The church believed that people should stick to the old time and old ways, in order to brainwash and keep the people "dumb" to their surroundings, so that the Church had power and control over the people. In other words, the church mainly did not want to have their followers to be intellectual, or show signs of a want to learn beacsue they knew that if the people started to believe in other religions or practice other beliefs, the church's would soon lose power over the people, and their control woudl be minimized or futile. The Medieval Period was also called "dark" because the churchs/governments of that time wanted to keep their subjects " in the dark" and refuse them the right to expand their horizons. Also to explore new things, and if they wanted to practice another religion, they wouldnt have the chance to because of the religious oppresion. Chrisstopher Gilmore
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_church.htm
The church during medieval times played a greater role during the Dark Ages than it does during modern society. Everyone believed in God and the afterlife, and England’s church made the population believe that the only way to get access to Heaven was through the Roman Catholic Church’s approval. So the church controlled freedom of expression over the people, and they believed that this is the way it had to be, which is untrue. This makes these ages “dark” because there was a lack of creative history in this time period.
- Sam
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/black_death_of_1348_to_1350.htm
Another example of the medieval times being "dark" was that there was absolutely no medical knowledge whatsoever. So when the bubonic plague struck, no one could control it. Disease wiped out everything. This contributed to the dark ages because it left a sickly air over medieval England. The church lead people to believe that this disease was a sign of God's punishments. For example, "Lack of medical knowledge meant that people tried anything to help them escape the disease. One of the more extreme was the flagellants. These people wanted to show their love of God by whipping themselves, hoping that God would forgive them their sins and that they would be spared the Black Death."
- Sam
An event that took place during the Medieval time period that contributed to labeling this time period as the “dark ages” was in 787-1066 A.D, the Viking invasions. Vikings were Scandinavian warriors, explorers, or traders. They raided some British islands and attacked people in France and the Roman Empire, and some other Christian countries located in Europe. A second event that had an impact on the “dark ages’ was the Norman Conquest, which was an invasion of the Kingdom of England that took place in 1066 A.D. By the troops of William of Normandy, Norman control of England was a result of this. The people of England now had new beliefs and language forced upon them and weren’t free to continue with their own. Both of these events contribute to ‘dark ages” because both were life changing events, the people were no longer able to freely continue with their own beliefs and customs, religion controlled much of the thinking of this time. The people were no longer able to express themselves or they were going to suffer a punishment for their writings or pieces of art. -Genna